Representatives of KGA’s 10 rural based partners and farmers had ended a two weeks training program on Friday 4th June 2010. The Master Trainers training program was on Pest & Disease Recognition and the Principles of Organic Farming, were conducted respectively by Dr Grahame Jackson of Terracircle Inc. for the first week and by Dr. Shane Tutua of Zai Na Tina Organic Research & Demonstration Farm for the second week to Friday 4th June 2010.

According to Clement Hadosaia, the purpose of the training is to empower selected trainers from KGA’s 10 rural based partners and Farmers to be trained in these specific areas to gain the right skills and knowledge. In turn, these trainers were expected to impart the same knowledge to other farmers within their communities.

Basically, KGA recognises the need to increase the number of lead farmers with right skills and knowledge in the rural areas, hence the Master Trainer program is aimed to address this important need. We also recognise that it is difficult to train more people at the same time, thus it is preferable to have a Master’s Trainer (TOT) Program so that the trainers will be able to meet some of the training needs within their own rural communities.

KGA is hopeful that with such training program, its rural based partners and active farmers will be able to fill certain gabs that exist in the rural communities within the country, especially the technical knowledge that is lacking among the farmers. KGA will continue to provide similar trainings this year, which will cover Livestock, Nutrition and relevant areas that are lacking among rural farmers.

The 26 training participants come from Makira/ Ulawa, Temotu, Western, Guadalcanal and Malaita provinces. This includes 5 farmers from East Kwaio communities of Jordan, Bobota, Kwakwasinga and Derasaia villages and 2 from Burn Creek community in Honiara.